Apparatus for pressurizing liquid and cleaning well holes therewith



1952 R. A. SMITH ET AL 2,619,180

APPARATUS FOR PRESSURIZING LIQUID AND CLEANING WELL HOLES THEREWITHFiled May 15, 1948 jig. 1.

Pay Jm fh d ISnventors L 4/ P/erae Gttornegs Patented Nov. 25, 1952UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR PRESSURIZIN G LIQUID AND CLEANING WELL HOLESTHERE- WITH Roy A. Smith and Le Mont Pierce, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application May 15, 1948, Serial No. 27,206

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the method and apparatus for pressurizingliquid and cleaning well holes therewith and more particularly to thewashing or cleaning sand, parafiin and other materials from the walls ofthe pipe or bore of oil and like wells.

Loose bodies of sand in the wall of oil and like wells tend to fall intothe hole and cause difficulties in pumping the well. Also rust from pipeand casing, paraflin, limestone and other formations are troublesome.Strainers and other equipment in oil wells must be cleaned and foreignmaterial must be removed from the hole for efiicient production.

The objects of the present invention are to provide for confining acleaning liquid, selectively applying high gas pressure to said liquidand jetting said pressurized liquid against the walls of bore holes andequipment therein for dislodging formations therefrom for removal toprevent production difiiculties; to provide for confining a cleaningliquid, selectively introducing a solidified gas into said liquid forpressuring same and releasing the pressurized liquid in jets whilecontrolling the areas treated thereby; to provide apparatus including acontainer for cleaning liquid adapted for receiving gas pressure forforcing said liquid in jets from the container; to provide apparatus forpressurizing liquid and utilizing and/or releasing same withsubstantially no danger to the operator; and to provide a safe, simple,efiicient apparatus and method of pressurizing liquid for use incleaning walls of well holes of undesirable materials and formations.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention I haveprovided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which isillustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the liquid and gas container in use forcleaning a well hole.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the container illustratingthe position of the liquid and solidified gas prior to the pressurizingof said liquid.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 44, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 2.

' Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates apparatus for using pressurized liquids in the cleaning ofwell holes 2. Said apparatus. being suspended on a wire line 3 orsuitable cable and adapted to be lowered through casing 4 and the likeinto the portion of the well hole to be cleaned. The apparatus iconsists of a tubular member 5 having suitable outside diameter to passthrough any portion of the well casing or other pipes therein throughwhich the device must be lowered. The wall 6 of the tubular member 5 isof suitable thickness to stand any pressure developed in the apparatus,said member being of such length that the bore 1 thereof has sufiicientcapacity for the amount of liquid 8 such as water, acid, parafiinsolvent, oil or other suitable liquid to be used in the cleaningprocess. If desired the tubular member 5 may be made up of a pluralityof pipe sections suitably connected to form pressure tight joints.

A closure member 9 is suitably mounted on the lower end of the tubularmember 5 and in the illustrated structure said tubular member 5 has anexternally threaded lower end ill which is screwed into an internallythreaded upper end I I of the closure member 9. The closure member isprovided with a bore 12 preferably of the same diameter as the bore 1 intubular member 5 and is further provided with a partition l3 integralwith the wall [4 of said closure member in the apparatus. The partitionI3 is provided with passage I 5 preferably concentric with the tubularmember 5, the upper end of said passage l5 being provided with a seat l6adapted to receive a ball or other suitable valve I! for normallyclosing the passage l5 and retaining liquid in the chamber formed abovethe partition. Mounted on the partition or otherwise supported in thebore [2 is a spring clamp I8 consisting of a plurality of spring fingersI 9 suitably shaped to receive and retain the ball valve l1 when saidvalve is lifted from the seat as later described. The wall M of theclosure member 9 below the partition i3 is provided with a plurality oforifices 20 preferably shaped to direct jets of liquid toward the wallof the well bore.

An end member 2| is suitably mounted on the lower end of the closure 9forming a chamber 22 between the member 2| and the partition I3. In theillustrated structure the lower end of the closure 9 is provided with athreaded flange 23 screwed into internal threads 24 of the end member2|. The end member is concentric bore 25 adapted to slidably mount aplunger 26 extending through said bore 25 and having a collar 2'!secured thereon to limit the downward or outward travel of said plungerby engagement with the end member 2| When the collar is in engagementwith the end memprovided with a ber 2|, the upper end 28 of said plungeris spaced slightly below passage l and is adapted to enter same andraise the ball I! upon upward movement of said plunger. The end member2| is provided with a downwardly extending boss 29 surrounding theplunger 26 and adapted to receive suitable packing 30 which is forcedinto sealing engagement with said boss and plunger by a packing gland 3|to seal the lower end of the chamber 22. The plunger 26 projects fromthe packing gland and the lower end thereof carries a head 32 spacedfrom said gland. When the head is engaged with an object, for example,the bottom of the bore hole further lowering of the apparatus will movethe plunger inwardly to lift the ball H from its seat and force saidball into engagement with the spring, clamp fingers IE! to retain theball whereby the passage |5 is opened for flow of liquid therethrough.

Mounted on the upper end of the tubular meinber 5 is an extension 33having a suitable wall thickness to withstand the pressure generated inthe apparatus and of suitable internal capacity for containing pressuregenerating materials such as solidified gas, for example, dry ice. Theextension is suitably secured to the tubular member 5 as by screwing anexternally threaded flange 34 into an internally threaded portion 35 atthe upper end of the tubular member 5 to form a pressure-tight joint.The upper end of the extension 33 preferably is of reduced diarneter asat 36 and has an internally threaded portion 31 adapted to receive anexternally threaded flange 38 of a head member 39, said head memberhaving a bore 49 therein terminating as at 4| at the upper end thereofin a wall that closes the chamber in which the pressure is efiected. Theupper end of the head 59 is preferably provided with an externallythreaded pin 42 adapted to be threaded into a box fitting 43 on thelower end of a cable or wire line connector 4- 5 having a suitablemounting on a wire line or cable 3 for supporting the apparatus andmoving same in a bore hole. Mounted in the wall of the head 39 andhaving communication with the bore 49 thereof is a pressure release port45 in which is seated a valve member 41 suitably threaded as at 48 inthe wall of said head whereby rotation of said valve member 41 will openthe port it to release r the pressure from the chamber in the apparatus.In order to retain the gas generating material 49 in spaced relation tothe liquid in the tubular member 5 and selectively introduce saidmaterial into said liquid the gas generating material is preferablycontained in a perforated housing 5. and said housing supported by acable or rod 5| having a ball 52 on the upper ends thereof adapted torest in a seat 53. The seat preferably consists of a plurality ofmembers carried on the ends of trunnions 54 suitably mounted in the wallof the head 39 whereby said trunnions may be rotated to release the balland drop: said gas generating material and container therefor into theliquid. Trunnions 5 extend. through the walls of the head 39 and havesuitable actuating members 55 on the exterior of said head for rotatingthe trunnion in releasing the gas generating material into the liquid.

While one form of container has been illustrated and described forcontaining liquid and gas generating material it is believed obviousthat the gas generating material could be placed in the lower portion ofthe apparatus and the water or other liquid in the upper portion withsuitable valve means for releasing the water for flow onto the gasgenerating material or other arrangement whereby the liquid and gasgenerating material may be maintained in separate condition andselectively brought together for affecting the generation of pressurizedliquid.

In using apparatus constructed as described the tubular member 5,closure 9 and end member 2| together with the plunger 25 and the ballvalve I1 and spring fingers l9 are assembled and if desired theextension 33 may be secured to the tubular member 5. Water or othercleaning liquid is then placed in the bore 1 of the tubular member withthe ball in seated position to retain said liquid therein. The tubularmember is then supported in the upper end of the hole and dry ice orother gas generating material placed in the housing 50 supported on theseat 53 by the ball 52. The head 39 is then secured to the extension 33to close and seal the container. The wire line connector 44 havingsuitable connection with said wire line is secured to the head 39 andthe device is ready for lowering into a hole to be cleaned.

After the assembly is complete and with the container in the upper endof the well bore, one or both of the trunnions 54 is rotated to releasetheball 52 and permit the housing 50 to drop into the liquid carried inthe tubular member 5, The difierence in temperature between the liquidand the gas generating material such as dry ice. causes said gasgenerating material to become a gas, and to create a very high pressurein the apparatus. The gas is generated as the device is lowered into thehole. Therefore, the. high pressure is not created in the apparatuswhile it is adjacent the top of the hole in proximity to any of theworkmen handling same.

Usually it is the portion adjacent the bottom of the hole that requirescleaning, therefore the apparatus is lowered into said hole until itreaches the bottom thereof. The lowering process is continued to forcethe plunger 26 upwardly to lift the ball H from its seat and force saidball into engagement with the clamping fingers l9 to retain ball I! offthe seat. The apparatus is then raised in the hole to permit thepressurized liquid passing from the bore i through the passage |5 intothe chamber 22 and out of the jets 20 under high pressure to be directedagainst the wall of the hole whereby the force of the jet will removeany loose material thereon. Said loose material dropping to the bottomof the hole where it may be subsequently removed by bailing or othersuitable method.

If through failure of any part of the apparatus it necessary to releaseth high pressure, the apparatus may be raised until the release valve 3;is just above the edge of the hole. Then by releasing said valve thepressure may be allowed to slowly escape. Even under such conditions theprincipal portion of the pressure carrying apparatus is below thesurface and any explosion or other accidents would be unlikely to causeinjury to the workmen.

By varying the capacity of the liquid containing compartment, the liquidused, the gas generating material and amounts thereof, variation in theforce of the jet, the duration thereof and the amount of surface cleanedmay be obtained. Also these variations may be arranged to adapt iecleaning to the particular material and structure to be treated forobtaining the best results.

It is believed obvious that we have provided an apparatus and method ofpressurizing liquid and using same in cleaning of well holes which issafe, economical and eflicient and capable of variation to accommodatethe cleaning to the condition encountered.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for cleaning well bores with pressurized liquidcomprising, an elongated substantially closed container movable in awell bore and adapted for containing a cleaning liquid in the lowerportion thereof, said container having jet openings at the lower endbelow the cleaning liquid, valve means between the liquid and jetopenings for isolating the liquid from said openings, means containing agas generating material housed in the container in spaced relation tothe liquid, means for selectively releasing the gas generatin materialfor bodily movement into the liquid whereby said gas generating materialis gasified forming a relatively high pressure in the container, meansfor opening the valve means for releasing the pressurized liquid fordischarge through the jet openings onto the walls of the well bore forcleaning same, means retaining the valve means in open condition forcontinued release of the pressurized liquid, and means for moving thecontainer through the area of the well bore to be cleaned during releaseof said liquid.

2. An apparatus for cleaning well bores with pressurized liquidcomprising, an elongated substantially closed container movable in awell bore and adapted for containing a cleaning liquid in the lowerportion thereof, said container having jet openings at the lower endbelow the cleaning liquid, valve means in the container between thecleaning liquid and jet openings for isolating the openings from theliquid, means for supporting solidified gas in the container in spacedrelation to the cleaning liquid, means for selectively releasing thesolidified gas for bodily movement into the cleaning liquid whereby theliquid effect gasification of the solidified gas and forms a relativelyhigh pressure in the container, means for opening the valve means forreleasing the pressurized cleaning liquid for discharge through the jetopenings onto the walls of the well bore for cleaning same, and meansretaining the valve means in open condition for continued release of thepressurized liquid.

3. An apparatus for cleaning well bores with pressurized liquidcomprising, an elongated substantially closed container movable in awell bore and adapted for containing a cleaning liquid in the lowerportion thereof, said container having jet openings at the lower endbelow the cleaning liquid, valve means between the cleaning liquid andjet openings for isolating the liquid from the openings, a perforatedcontainer supported in the elongated container in spaced relation to theliquid and having solidified gas therein, means for selectivelyreleasing the perforated container of solidified gas for bodily movementinto the liquid whereby said solidified gas is gasified forining arelatively high pressure in the container, means for selectively movingthe elongated container in a well bore for positioning same relative toan area to be cleaned therein, means for opening the valve means forreleasing the pres surized liquid for discharge in jets through the jetopenings onto the Walls of the Well bore for cleaning same, means forretaining the valve means in open condition for continued release of thepressurized liquid, and means for selectively releasing the pressure inthe elongated container while said valve means is in closed condition.

ROY A. SMITH. LE MONT PIERCE.

CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 968,851 Illy Aug. 30, 19101,410,627 Muehl Mar. 28, 1922 1,449,672 I-Iallvarson Mar. 27, 19231,843,002 Small Jan. 26, 1932 1,866,927 Ekstromer July 12, 19322,018,285 Schweitzer et a1. Oct. 22, 1935 2,136,881 Johnson Nov. 15,1938 2,144,203 Van Meter Jan. 17, 1939 2,327,051 Lyons et a1 Aug. 17,1943 2,373,006 Baker Apr. 3, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date47,5 19 Austria Apr. 25, 1911

